The Ebola Virus (Cont.)

Diagnosing Ebola

In order to make an Ebola diagnosis, the doctor will look for signs and symptoms of Ebola by asking a number of questions and performing a physical exam. If the doctor suspects an Ebola virus infection, he or she will order lab tests that can identify the virus itself, or antibodies made by the body against the Ebola virus.
 
Other conditions can cause symptoms that are similar to symptoms of Ebola. Before making an Ebola diagnosis, the doctor will consider these conditions. Some of these conditions include:
 
  • Influenza (the flu)
  • Malaria (disease transmitted by an infected mosquito)
  • Typhoid fever (disease transmitted by contaminated food or water)
  • Other viral hemorrhagic fevers.
     

Treatment for Ebola

There is only one Ebola cure: time. Treatment for Ebola focuses on providing relief of Ebola symptoms as the body fights the Ebola virus. There is currently no proven Ebola treatment that can kill the Ebola virus, nor is there an Ebola vaccine that can prevent an infection. This is called supportive care.
 

Ebola: Prognosis

Between 50 and 90 percent of Ebola patients do not survive the infection. Ebola research scientists do not understand why some people are able to recover from Ebola hemorrhagic fever and others are not; however, it is known that Ebola victims usually have not developed a significant immune response to the Ebola virus at the time of death.
 

The Ebola Virus as a Biological Weapon

In the aftermath of the events of September and October, 2001, there is heightened concern that the Ebola virus might be used as an agent of bioterrorism. The United States is taking precautions to deal with the possibility of the deliberate release of the Ebola virus.
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls the Ebola virus a Category A agent. Category A agents have a moderate to high potential for large-scale dissemination (spread), and are believed to present the greatest potential threat for harming public health. The public is generally more aware of category A agents, and broad-based public health preparedness efforts are necessary. Other Category A agents include:
 
  • Plague
  • Anthrax
  • Tularemia (disease transmitted through the bite of an infected insect or animal)
  • Botulism (food poisoning from ingesting improperly canned, or preserved, food)
  • Smallpox.
     
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD